Outdoor curtains
made to measure

Outdoor curtains are fabric panels for outdoor use that hang under a patio roof, on a balcony or on a pergola and can be drawn open and closed. They give privacy, cut low sun and slow side wind. Unlike a fixed wall they are open in seconds, and in winter you simply take them down. Using curtains outdoors therefore means: protection only when you need it.

First the question of see-through: opaque for privacy, semi-sheer if it should stay bright behind the curtain. Then the hanging method, wire rope or rail, and the look, pulled taut or hung in waves. A curtain for a balcony and balcony door should have lead weight tape at the bottom so it hangs more steadily in wind. If the curtains hang on the balcony side directly in front of the door, as a door curtain for balcony or patio doors, side magnets are worthwhile: then two panels hold together in the middle.

A fabric for outdoors has to withstand UV rays, rain and dirt without fading. We work with solution dyed acrylic from Agora with lightfastness 7-8 out of 8 and UPF 50+: Agora Liso opaque at 260 g/m², Agora Air semi-sheer at 148 g/m². The manufacturer gives a 5-year guarantee on colour fastness. Semi-sheer is also available in Dralon, which costs less and has a lower lightfastness.

Measure the width of the opening and the height from the hanging point to just above the floor. The bottom hem should not touch the ground, otherwise it draws up moisture. Every panel is possible up to 280 cm in height without a seam. Wide openings are divided into two or more panels, which can be joined with magnets.

On a stainless steel wire rope stretched between two eye bolts, or on an aluminium rail on a wall or ceiling. On the rope the eye bolts are at most 200 cm apart, on the rail the brackets at most 80 cm. We supply the intermediate bolts and brackets to match your length. On the outside the rail is 2.6 cm wide and 2.1 cm high, on the inside 2.2 cm wide and 1.7 cm high. Rails over 130 cm come in sections, which you join with the connectors supplied. The support has to carry the weight. The outdoor curtain installation guide shows every step with drilling dimensions.

The stainless steel eyelets have a standard diameter of 1.1 cm. On request we fit eyelets with a 2 cm diameter; please note this in your order. A loop is 7 cm high when closed and 14 cm long in total.

The most effective step is a bottom hem with sewn-in lead weight tape of 70 to 85 g, which weighs the panel down. With additional corner eyelets you fix the curtain at the bottom. Side magnets hold two neighbouring panels together, side eyelets every 50 cm give further fixing points. When open, you bind the panel together with the tieback. In a storm you should open the curtain and tie it back, because a closed fabric panel catches a lot of wind.

Remove light dirt with clear water or mild soapy water and a soft cloth, no pressure washer. Most fabrics are machine washable, Agora Liso on a gentle cycle at 30 °C without fabric softener. Take off carabiners, runners and magnets beforehand, then air dry. Only store them completely dry.

Here in our shop. We sew every curtain ourselves to your specifications; GERMES GmbH is based in Westoverledingen, Germany. You put together measurements, fabric, hems and extras in the configurator. For sloping roofs there is a separate product, the outdoor curtain for sloping roofs; for other special shapes, customer service will help.

The price depends on width, height, fabric and the hems and extras you choose. The configurator works it out as soon as you enter the measurements - you do not need to request a quote. The rope or rail system is added as a separate product.

A fabric with high UV protection protects from the sun: Agora and Dralon reach UPF 50+ and 50 respectively and block over 98% of UV radiation. Against heat a curtain works best on the outside, before the sun hits the floor and the glass. Opaque Agora Liso gives more shade than the semi-sheer fabric, which lets more air through. A sun protection curtain outdoors is therefore also heat protection.

Our outdoor fabrics are also suitable for indoors, and the rail system is built for conservatories and patio roofs. A conservatory curtain made from semi-sheer Agora Air cuts the sun and lets the light in. If you are looking for a conservatory curtain that also keeps out the view from outside, choose Agora Liso.

It gets darkest behind the opaque Agora Liso. It blocks the view completely and darkens noticeably, but it is a woven acrylic fabric without a blackout coating. It will not get fully dark as it does behind a blackout curtain in a bedroom. The semi-sheer fabric is deliberately designed for regulating light, not for darkening.

A curtain outdoors has to withstand sun, rain and dirt, so the fibre and finish are made for it: with solution dyed acrylic the colour sits in the fibre core, the finish is water and dirt repellent, and the fabric is mould resistant. It is not waterproof: Agora Liso has a water column of 180 mm. The curtain is therefore weather resistant in sun and showers; in continuous rain and storms you should open it or tie it back at the side.